The World's Great Sermons, Volume 02: Hooker to South

In Short

This volume presents a curated selection of historically significant sermons that examine the intersection of divine authority and human obligation. Through precise, often demanding rhetoric, these writers explore the mechanics of belief, the inevitability of divine judgment, and the restoration of humanity after the Fall. These pieces have endured because they represent a peak of intellectual theology, where the weight of eternal consequence is paired with the careful structure of logical inquiry, offering a challenging, contemplative look at the foundational questions of the Western religious tradition.

The Story

The progression of the book moves from the foundational call to faith to the sobering reality of the afterlife. It begins with Thomas Hooker’s call to "Abraham’s imitators," defining faith not as a passive state but as an active, courageous obedience. Hooker argues that true faith demands a readiness to act without hesitation, mirroring the decisive obedience of the patriarchs. He frames the spiritual life as a race or a journey where the soul must prioritize its divine calling over worldly distractions, urging the believer to "press, crowd, and thrust through all that may stand between heaven and their souls."

The narrative shifts from the duties of life to the accounting of that life before the judgment seat of Christ. Jeremy Taylor explores the terror and the glory of the final judgment, forcing the listener to confront the Judge who is both the savior and the one against whom the sinner has transgressed. He suggests that those who refuse the mercy offered in Christ are, in effect, complicit in His suffering. This section moves from the abstract weight of eternity to the intensely personal, asking the reader to evaluate whether they truly value their own salvation or if they have become "their own enemies."

As the argument deepens, the focus turns toward the nature of the human intellect before and after the Fall. Robert South provides a stark contrast between the pristine, intuitive understanding of Adam—who possessed knowledge without the "sweat of his brow"—and the fragmented, labor-intensive reasoning of fallen humanity. He catalogues the absurdities of human history, from the philosophical denial of motion to the pagan worship of onions and garlic, to illustrate the depth of our degradation. The arc concludes with a call to the "Christian religion" as the only restorative power capable of repairing the "defaced copy" of the human soul. The goal of this entire trajectory is to move the reader from an unexamined life of worldly distraction to a state of disciplined reflection, where one recognizes that the ultimate purpose of human existence is to have the image of God "reprinted" upon the heart.

How It Unfolds

The active nature of belief The text opens by defining faith as a dynamic force that compels the believer to "walk in the steps" of Abraham. It establishes that true obedience requires the silencing of carnal reason in favor of immediate action.

The race toward salvation The discourse transitions into the metaphor of a race, where the runner must avoid the "enticing, alluring, and soul-entangling flatteries" of the world. It insists that heaven is a prize to be sought with the urgency of someone fleeing for their life.

The final accounting The focus shifts to the judgment seat, where the sinner meets the One they have "pierced." This section forces an uncomfortable confrontation with the reality of grace and the potential for eternal loss.

The tragedy of the fallen intellect The argument examines the historical and philosophical decline of human reason since the Fall. It contrasts Adam’s original, effortless wisdom with the modern tendency toward superstition, idolatry, and intellectual confusion.

The restoration of the soul The book concludes by positioning religion as a remedial process. It argues that the human condition is one of profound brokenness, and that only divine intervention can clarify the reason and regulate the affections once more.

The People

The figures in these pages are not characters in a narrative, but rather archetypes of the spiritual condition. Abraham stands as the ideal of the "faithful soul," the man who obeys without questioning or "consulting with flesh and blood." He is the standard against which the reader is invited to measure their own hesitation. In contrast, Adam appears as the archetype of lost potential, a figure whose intellectual clarity and communion with truth serve as a painful reminder of what humanity has surrendered through sin.

Christ appears as both the merciful Savior and the inevitable Judge. He is described as the one who provides the "easy religion" of salvation, yet He is also the presence before whom the betrayer must stand, bearing the weight of their own indifference. The "young prince," used by some authors as a secondary model, serves to demonstrate how courage and ardor in a temporal cause—such as a military campaign—can be mirrored or surpassed in the spiritual quest. Finally, there is the "sinner," the central figure of the reader’s own identity. The preachers address this person directly, challenging them to stop "dodging with God" and to acknowledge the inherent absurdity of neglecting one's own eternal welfare. These figures collectively map the distance between the potential for grace and the reality of human waywardness.

In Its Own Voice

"The faithful soul is not to seek, as an evil servant that is gone a roving after his companions, that is out of the way when his master would use him, but is like a trusty servant that waiteth upon his master, and is ever at hand to do His pleasure."

(Hooker describes the necessity of constant readiness in the life of faith.)

"It is the nature of sin so far to blind and befool the sinner, that he knoweth not what he doth, but thinketh he is free from it when it reigneth in him, or when he is committing it."

(The authors argue that the most dangerous aspect of sin is the sinner's inability to recognize their own guilt.)

"The whole business of our redemption is, in short, only to rub over the defaced copy of the creation, to reprint God's image upon the soul, and, as it were, to set forth nature in a second and fairer edition."

(South summarizes the ultimate aim of the religious life as the restoration of the original divine image.)

What It's Really About

The central theme is the necessity of an awakened, intentional life. The book argues that humanity is trapped in a state of self-imposed blindness, mistaking worldly comfort and distraction for true existence. The underlying question is whether a person, once confronted with the evidence of their own mortality and the possibility of a divine judgment, will choose to "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling." It posits that human nature is fundamentally wounded and that the intellect, left to its own devices, will descend into paradox and absurdity. The argument suggests that the only way to escape this descent is through the rigorous, active pursuit of a life aligned with divine purpose.

Why Read It Today

This volume is for the reader who values the architecture of classical thought and the bracing, uncompromising tone of seventeenth-century pulpit oratory. There is a distinct rhythm to these pages—a blend of intellectual rigor and moral urgency that is rarely found in contemporary prose. To read it is to step into a world where the stakes of every action are perceived as eternal, and where the language is crafted to demand a reaction from the reader's own conscience.

However, the reader should be prepared for the difficulties inherent in such a collection. The dialect, the dense theological vocabulary, and the period-specific references to historical figures or obscure philosophical debates can be taxing. The authors hold attitudes that are unapologetically stern, and they do not shy away from the imagery of wrath and judgment which may feel jarring to modern sensibilities. Yet, for those who can navigate these barriers, the rewards are significant. You are left with a sense of the sheer gravity that earlier generations assigned to the act of thinking and the act of living. It is a slow, meditative experience, one that encourages a pause in the modern cycle of noise to consider the enduring questions of duty, identity, and the fragile nature of the human mind.